1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condensing apparatus for a washing and drying machine, and more particularly, to a condensing apparatus for a washing and drying machine capable of increasing drying performance by improving condensing efficiency.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a washing and drying machine in accordance with the conventional art, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a condensing duct of FIG. 1. As shown, the washing and drying machine comprises a casing 11 forming an accommodation space therein, a tub 21 arranged in the casing 11 for receiving water for washing laundry therein, a rotary drum 31 rotatably arranged around a rotary axis arranged along a horizontal direction in the tub 21, and a drum driving motor 33 for driving the rotary drum 31.
The casing 11 has a quadrangular box shape and is provided with an inlet for introducing laundry at the front surface thereof. At one side of the inlet, a door 13 for opening and closing the inlet is formed.
The tub 21 has a box shape of which one side is opened, and the opened region is arranged correspondingly the inlet. A spring member 23 and a damper 25 for elastically supporting the tub 21 are respectively installed at the upper and lower sides of the tub 21. Also, a drain duct 27 and a drain pump 29 for draining washing water are installed at one side of the lower portion of the tub 21.
At a rear region of the tub 21, a condensing duct 41 is installed in a state that one end thereof is connected to the tub 21 and another end thereof is upwardly extending. A blower fan 47 for sucking air inside of the tub 21 through the condensing duct 41 is installed at the upper end of the condensing duct 41. Another end of an air duct 48 of which one end is connected to the upper front surface of the tub 21 is connected to an outlet of the blower fan 47. A heater 49 for heating air is installed in the air duct 48.
The condensing duct 41 has an ‘L’ shape in which air and condensate water sucked from the tub 21 can flow, and a fan coupling portion 42 to which the blower fan 47 is coupled is formed at the upper region thereof. Into one side of the fan coupling portion 42, one end of a condensate water supplying duct 43 for supplying condensate water is introduced. Also, at a periphery of the condensate water supplying duct 43 introduced into the fan coupling portion 42, a condensate water accommodating portion 44 for accommodating supplied condensate water with a predetermined amount is formed. To the lower end of the condensing duct 41, another end of a connection bellows 45 of which one end is connected to the tub 21 is connected.
Under this construction, when a dewatering process is finished and a drying process is started thus to drive the blower fan 47, air is sucked from the inside of the tub 21 and flows upwardly along the condensing duct 41. The air which has upwardly flowed flows along the air duct 48 and is heated by the heater 49 thus to be introduced into the tub 21.
High temperature air which has been introduced into the tub 21 contains moisture of laundry, flows along the condensing duct 41, and is condensed by being cooled by condensate water supplied through the condensate water supplying duct 43. Low temperature air of which moisture is removed is heated by the heater 49, and the heated high temperature and dry air is introduced into the tub 21, contains moisture of laundry, and is condensed in the condensing duct 41, thereby performing a drying process of the laundry.
However, in the conventional washing and drying machine, the condensing duct 41 has a comparatively complicated structure thus to have a difficult fabrication process and air flow is not smooth thus to degrade drying performance. Also, condensate water supplied from the condensate water supplying duct 43 downwardly flows through one side region of the condensing duct 41 as shown in FIG. 2, and air sucked from the tub 21 upwardly flows through another side region, thereby not having an excellent condensing efficiency and thus degrading drying performance.